"In most cases, we could not find a promoter to hold an approved pageant in those countries," said Annette Cammer, director of licensees for Miss Universe. "And that's how we find contestants in our pageant."

The number of television viewers remains steady, organizers said. However, the number of girls who dream of growing up to be beauty queens, at least in the United States, has dwindled during the past decade because of feminism and changing social values.

Miss UK and Miss Norway are absent for the first time in the pageant's 46-year history. Overall, the number of contestants is 74 this year, down from about 80 in previous years.

The no-shows hint that Miss Universe, just acquired by tycoon Donald Trump, might be losing some cache - at least with contestants - to a pageant lesser known here, but more popular in Europe: Miss World, industry watchers say.

Miss World is televised in 120 countries and has about 3.5 billion viewers. Miss Universe is seen in 75 countries by about 2.5 billion viewers. Miss World, which is larger, appeals to European and Asian countries, while Miss Universe is big in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Pageant organizers said Japan and Guam now send delegates only to Miss World. Norway, Great Britain and Denmark, among others, do the same.

In the case of Miss United Kingdom, one of the country's premier pageant promoters said he could have sent a beauty to compete.

"I wrote them a letter offering to fly in our Miss UK and they wrote me back saying they were too busy dealing with the Trump acquisition and would get back to me. They never did," said Eric Morley, chairman of London-based Miss World, which for 38 years supplied the UK finalist to Miss Universe.

There is a Miss Ireland in the pageant, who was selected separately. Now that the pageant is watching its bottom line, a la Trump, Morley suggests that Miss Universe may be making cost-cutting changes.

"Sometimes too many delegates end up costing organizers money," said the veteran pageant promoter. "I don't think Mr. Trump would like that."

Organizers say Miss Universe has scaled back. "All pageants have had their ups and downs. But they'll be around for a long time," Morley said.

Still, workers at the Norwegian consulate in Miami were shocked to hear there is no Miss Norway in the contest.

"We always have a girl at the pageant. I'm very surprised. Pageants are very popular in my country," said Consul Secretary Ingrid Nils.

Norway won the pageant in 1990. Miss United Kingdom has never won. Besides the no-shows, the pageant also has had to deal with other sticky matters.

Because of the animosity between their two countries, Miss Lebanon, Dalida Chammai, 23, and Miss Israel, Dikla Hamdy, 18, are kept apart.

Three years ago at a Miss World competition, the delegates from those countries were photographed together. When Miss Lebanon returned home, she was accused of "collaborating with the enemy."

Since then, the beauty queens from those two countries have shied away from each other. "It's very upsetting, but we can't be friends," said Hamdy.

Added Chammai: "I think we should keep political problems outside. We are here for something beautiful."